In June this year MLS side New York Red Bulls went up against NASL side New York Cosmos.
The New York Cosmos are arguably the most well-recognised US football side in the world. Sadly, today they languish in the NASL – the second tier of the US league system – with the MLS’s closed structure meaning their is no prospect of ever making it back into the top flight.
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That doesn’t mean MLS sides can never play against lower opposition though. The annual US Open Cup pits 80 clubs from three professional leagues against each other. The fourth round of the 2014 tournament saw the Cosmos and their MLS big brothers, the New York Red Bulls, go head-to-head for the the first time competitively.
Blessed with legend Thierry Henry, most predicted a massacre in favour of the Red Bulls, but the Cosmos emerged as 3-0 winners to record one of the biggest shocks in US soccer history.
You can see the highlights below.